The BC-1205PT Blu-ray/DVD-RW combo drive caters to those looking for a high¬performance multi-function optical drive. Most Blu-ray optical drives available come in the form of Blu-ray writers and can also write CD and DVD media. But these optical drives are still out of reach of the common computer user. For those who would like to have a high-definition Blu-ray drive at a cheaper price (but still higher priced than an average DVD optical drive) this is the right one for you. This drive can read from Blu-ray discs and write to DVDs, allowing users to watch high-definition movies and yet retain backward compatibilit, all using just one single drive.

The combo drive is a BD-ROM/DVD-RW/ CD-RW drive that can read and write data at 12X DVD, 4X DVD-DL and 5X DVD-RAM speeds. It uses a technology what Asus calls "Smart Laser Driver Technology". the technology is integrated into the drive to improve and stabilize data recording quality . This is built into the drive's electronics
and controls irregularities in the data to be enjoy skip-free media playback and data writing. The drive has a SATA interface, that enables faster read speeds as compared to the standard IDE interface optical drives.

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The drive comes bundled with the CyberLink BD Solution Suite. This includes PowerDVD for watching movies, Power Producer for editing videos, and Power2Go and InstantBurn which are alternatives to the more common Nero Burning ROM and InCD respectively. Other utilities that have been included are Power Backup for backing up data and an Asus utility for live firmware upgrades.

VERDICT: The BC-1205PT combo drive from Asus is a good choice for those looking for a combination of Blu-ray playback and a DVD writer in a single package. The drive can be an excellent choice for those planning to build an HTPC machine at home

FOR: Multiple media compatibility . AGAINST: Slightly overpriced.